2012 PRIMARY ELECTION: MESQUITE JUSTICE OF THE PEACE

Nothing attracts candidates like the retirement of a longtime incumbent.

Seven people have thrown their names in the hat to replace Ron Dodd, who is stepping down after 14 years as Mesquite justice of the peace.

Candidate Bill Berrett, a former Clark County prosecutor, thinks voters should choose an attorney for the position. Both he and candidate Ryan Toone, a deputy city attorney in Mesquite, are licensed to practice law in Nevada.

"The strength is that I've got the felony experience and the experience in the DA's office," Berrett said.

Toone prosecutes misdemeanor cases for the city of Mesquite. He previously worked in private practice.

"I have a strong background in civil litigation and in criminal law," Toone said. "And I feel like my background in both of those areas will help me stand out as a candidate in this race."

Justices of the peace in Clark County townships with fewer than 100,000 people, such as Mesquite, need not have law degrees or licenses. Dodd does not have a law degree, but several candidates for his position have backgrounds in law.

Karen Beausoleil received a law degree in 1992 from the University of Wyoming and practiced law for about seven years in Wyoming and Utah. She focused on family law and civil rights cases.

Kryztal Alvizo graduated last year from the Seattle University School of Law.

Theron Jensen completed a semester of law school at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas a few years ago but had to withdraw because of "personal and business" challenges, he said.

Duane Thurston has served as Mesquite's constable for nearly 18 years. In that position, he serves papers for the court.

Another candidate, Alisia Leavitt, did not list a contact number in her election filing and could not be reached for comment.

Berrett graduated in 1981 from the South Texas College of Law in Houston and moved to Nevada. He was admitted to the State Bar of Nevada the same year.

He began working the following year in the criminal division of the Clark County district attorney's office, where he prosecuted cases until February 2007.

"I've been doing defense work since then," said Berrett, who now works in private practice.

While in the district attorney's office, Berrett spent about eight years supervising prosecutors assigned to outlying areas, including Mesquite.

"I've had a strong connection to Mesquite," he said.

Berrett said he moved to the city in December after deciding to run for justice of the peace.

Toone has worked and lived in Mesquite for about four years. Both he and Berrett are running for office for the first time.

After receiving his law degree from the University of Minnesota in 2006, Toone was admitted to the Nevada bar.

Before taking the job with the Mesquite city attorney's office, he worked for a law firm in the Las Vegas area and focused on a variety of civil issues.

"I have a strong commitment to the city of Mesquite," Toone said. "I enjoy living here."

Beausoleil, who moved to Mesquite in 2001, was Dodd's only challenger in the 2006 election.

Dodd also has held the appointed position of Mesquite municipal judge, drawing separate salaries for each of his judicial positions, since 1985. He plans to retire from both jobs at the end of the year.

Beausoleil said she would not accept the Municipal Court appointment if elected to the Justice Court seat. She views this as "double dipping."

"We need to return to a two-judge system in Mesquite," she said.

Her first career was as a teacher and school psychologist. After retiring as an educator, she went to law school.

She moved to Mesquite after retiring from the legal profession.

"I'm the only candidate who has extensive experience in both civil and criminal," Beausoleil said.

Alvizo grew up in Mesquite and graduated from Virgin Valley High School in 2003. She received a bachelor's degree in political science from UNLV in 2007. For about six months, she worked as a Spanish interpreter for Mesquite Municipal Court.

Since graduating from law school, she said, she has been "trying to find gainful employment." She is running for office for the first time.

Alvizo said her work in Municipal Court and recent legal education make her qualified to serve as justice of the peace.

She also said many of her relatives, including her parents and grandparents, live in Mesquite.

"I would like to be part of this community," she said.

Jensen, a Mesquite native, has bought and sold various Mesquite businesses over the years. He has owned ERA Brokers Consolidated, a real estate brokerage, for the past four years.

"I've been self-employed my whole life," he said.

In 1984, he received bachelor's degrees in business administration and accounting from Southern Utah University in Cedar City.

Jensen narrowly lost the Mesquite mayoral race in 2003. In the past, he has served on the Virgin Valley Water District board of directors.

Jensen said he has the life experience and common sense necessary for the job in Justice Court, which he described as a "people's court."

"I think you need a common sense approach more than a strictly legal approach," he said.

Thurston owns Sunny States Carpet Cleaning in Mesquite, where he has lived since 1987. He is in his fifth term as constable.

Thurston said he has wanted to run for justice of the peace for the past decade but didn't want to challenge Dodd.

His many years of serving documents for the court give him sufficient experience for the job, he said.

Contact reporter Carri Geer Thevenot at cgeer@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0264.